Time computing machine



Oct. 30, 1951 N. o. BERGQUIST 2,573,385

TIME COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l fr g5- Oct.30, 1951 N, o. BERGQUIST 2,573,385

TIME COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 cL, 30, 1951N. o. BERGQUIST 2,573,385

TIME: COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 Oct. 30,1951 N, o. BERGQUIST 2,573,385

TIME COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Nov. s, 1949 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Oct.30, 1951 TIME COMPUTING MACHINE Nils Olof Bergquist, Appelvkcn, nearStockholm, Sweden Application November 3, 1949, Serial No. 125,251 InSweden October 4, 1944 9 Claims.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 619,706.ii1ed October l, 1945, now abandoned,entitled Time Computing Machines.

The present invention relates to a calculating machine for computingelapsed time between two points of time, that is computing differencesof time and the total of such differences, such points of time being forexample the beginning and the end of working hours as taken from timecards or other printed or written time records, and both the entrancesand the results of the calculations being normally presented as hoursand fractions of hours.

More particularly the invention refers to a time computing machine inwhich a counter for accumulating such differences of times is actuatedin dependence of the distance over which an index travels between twopoints on a time scale when a wheel is rolling along a track, the wheelnormally being out of engagement with the track but when in action beingin engagement with the track for the time corresponding to the travelfrom one point on said scale to the other.

The chief object of the invention is to construct such a machine so asto render the computing operations reliable by locking the wheel in itsposition of rotation when not fully engaged by the track, and using apositive engagement of the wheel with the track when rolling along thesame; and another object is to construct such machines so as to renderthe adding and subtracting operation involved, more easy and rapid.

A further object of the invention is to construct the time computingmachine so that the entrances of the numerical information to be addedor subtracted, may be made by the aid of a pointer movable along a fixedtime scale, and the result can be obtained from an accumulating counterof common type.

These and other objects of the invention as well as features of the samewill appear from the iollowing specification and the claims.

Two embodiments of the invention are by way of example illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a time computing machine inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a broken plan view showing the heart of the interiormechanism of the machine according to Fig. l, on a greater scale; thewheel being axially displaceable in a carriage comprising two sections,the upper section of which is removed to show the internal means moreclearly;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line III-III in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line IV-IV in Fig. 2; A

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line V-V in Fig. 2;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross section through a time computing machineaccording to another embodiment of the invention, the wheel being liftedto and fro engagement With the rack;

Figure '7 is a partial front view of the computing machine according toFig. 6, the casing being partially cut away for showing details of themechanism;

Figure 8 shows a top'view of the carriage of the machine shown in Figs.3 and 4; and

Figure 9 shows a time scale suitable for the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, l indicates an accumulating counter,having a number of totalizer or numeral wheels, indicating hours andfractions of hours. The counter may be of wellknown construction and isnot shown in detail here. It should be constructed both for additive andfor subtractive operations. The counter l is stationary in the machineframe and is actuated in either direction of rotation by a shaft 2rotatably journalled in the machine frame.

The shaft 2 is slotted at 3, and this slot is engaged by a spline in thehub 4a of a bevel gear Wheel 4. The hub 4a of that Wheel is journalledin a movable carriage 5 comprising two sections 5a, 5b screwed together.Thus, the wheel 4 is movable axially along the shaft 2, but the shaftwill be rotated when the wheel 4 rotates. This wheel meshes permanentlywith a second bevel gear wheel 6, which is also rotatably journalled inthe carriage 5 by means of its hub 6a.

In the hub 6a of the wheel 6 a shaft 'l is displaceably splined and onthat shaft a spur wheel 8 is secured. The wheel 8 is with its shaft 1displaceable between two positions, viz. an inoperative position (Figs.2 and 3) in which it is engaged by a locking stop tooth I9 secured tothe top of the carriage 5, and an operative position (not illustrated inthe drawing) in which the wheel 8 is in mesh with a toothed rack 9stationary in the machine frame and parallel with the shaft 2. Fordisplacing the wheel 8 between said two positions a coupling plate I6attached to a runner or indicator member I0, is slidably mounted in thecarriage 5, between the two sections 5a, 5b of the same, and is providedwith a rectangular aperture Ic, within which the wheel 8 is located. Thecoupling plate I6 is forknalled, which in one end carries a spur gearwheel 30 and in the other end a bevel gear wheel 3I in permanent meshwith a second bevel gear Wheel 32 on a shaft 33, rotatably journalled inthe carriage 22. This shaft carries two actuator wheels 34, one for eachof the counters and 2l. One of the counters 2), ZI shows the grandtotal,

- `while' the'- other-shows Ythe` suloetotal.V "The counstops I8attached to the carriage 5,-and the in,

ward motion of the coupling plateis"'limited*by engagement of thecentral portion-of-saidgplate Y carriage 5withzzitszfassociated..-members:can be moved axially along the shaft2-withoutany..actuationr -on the .fwheels Mexm-,and .the counter I iFor-computing, the operator'.- frstmoves the nunnerl @fand thus thecarriage:5tlaterallyby means of thehandlem', Y'stillfinfits inoperative-(unde-:`

pressed) position, until the index 'line` 1-5;fcoin .oidesfwith thatpoint' or line ofl the scale Illysay 17.30 "oclock which fmarks the`beginning -of fthe work. Now the operator presses the:..-handlef-IZinwardsand thus causes :thewheelf Bfto' mesh'with the rack 5,' andthenihemoves ^4therunnerto the Aright, untilfrthe index Eline;- I5coincides .with'that point of the time scale I 4, say 16.00 -Aplfm#which-'corresponds' tothe-endof` the Work. When Y"the `runner thusrhasf been #moved between jthe :points "7.30ian'd 916:00 of"therscale,the-wheels 8,45, "4 rotatethei'shaft '21 so that thefitem--Sil/g is Aentered into the rcounter. Thus the counter Vdi-.retlyshows ithe number r'of hours consumedv for 1i athewvork.If'the..workfhasbeencarried out fdurting:Y several periodsff timesseparatedfbywpauses,

y'such periods 'fare successivelycenteredinto the counter,which'l-thenfshows thetotal AThe coun- 'terimay-be cleared finwell-.known manner.

' '.When"the'handleV I2fzis1pressed inwards, Yfther' `wheel 8is-,not'fullynreleased fromtthe stcpwtooth i-rI Stun-til it:has'beenwbrought .finto full-engagement 'with'f the' rack, @andwhenmove'd'foutwards 4the 'Wheel 8 is not" fully `released' from" the.`rack :.until it EhasfV been :brought: into full engagement mithf.

"'the stop tooth "I 9;.thefwheelr8 'thus Fbeing 'locked Vvagainstrotation when finf all `-intermediate -gpositions. "Ilhf'erefore,v `theWheel'f8 willralways fbe :in 'suchla positionofirotationithatiits:teethf are exrack teeth. Of fcourse,Tthel-sniallest"divisions on "the scale must be'of thesameisize aszftherelative distancefof'theteeth on` the'ara'ck ,orbefa small multiple ot'`said distance.

'Inj'the er'nbddimentillustrated` in' Figs; 3-8;the

v4"two accumulating vcounters 20 andjZI are ar- '.'anged'on themovableparriage 22. The .carri'age rolls on rollers'23 in rectilinear,`vvstationary `Vguides 24. VOn pins in theside-Walls of' the carriage, acarrier" v2S1is'rockaloly journalled. 'To'v the `vcarrier 26' a Vhandleor`nger-piece'"2'i is secured, and a' torsion or 'coil 'spring '23serves "to "keep the carrienz with its vhandle inV their upper- `mostposition.

'In bearings in the carrier 26 a shaftlis'jour- Vters have .individualclearing .means vin wellknown manner.

When the operator presses down the handle 21 manually, the toothed wheel3Q comes into mesh Witha stationary straight toothed rack 35 secured .toi.he-machine frame. On the shaft 29 also a dentatedwheel 3S is securedwhich cooperates with a tooth 3! secured to the carriage 25. This tooth'flocks thelwheelseand prevents the shaft 29 from rotating, as long asthe handle 2l is no t fully depressed. But as soon as the operatorsfinger depresses the handle 251 fully and the wheel 35 is liberatedvfromthe,stoptooth 3.1,..the .ivheelf is securely :in meshwith'the.stationaryrack, @Sand rotates, when the.carriage..is,.-movedlaterally. in its guides. Thus,-.whentheicarriagelis moved laterally `the wheel F35 is..eitherflocked.orincfull mesh with .the rack 35. ,This preventserrors ofcalculation. Y

Thus, aswill-appear ronfnlig.. 6, the. stop wheel 36 is 'not fullyreleased fromthestop -.tooth31.lun

. til the `wheel .3Q` rhasfullyengaged the rack .35, v.and` theA wheel.30. is not .fully released .rom..the Y rack-35 -until thestop Wheel.has fully.- engaged the stop tooth V,31,...the-vvheel. 3.5.thus .beingflocked against rotation in all ,intermediateepositions Therefore, thewheel 3U also..inthisienibodiment willalways Vbe in such .a positionof.rotationthat its Y teeth are exactlyin alignment .withthespaces ,betweenthe rackteeth. It-shouldbeiunderstood e that the-stop wheel v35 `musthavefthe .same ynum- :aber ofv --teeth .as has the Wheel 3Il,.-andevidently the smallest division on., the scale- -must,also in...this-embodiment-beoffthe-samesizeaslthe.relative VdistanceOfthe-fteetheon-the rackor beva-small multiple of said distance. l y

'The' hand1e12 'l extends :through a..longitudinal slot in the casing 38 -of-the machine,` and' rthrough another slot in=thecasingffanVindexsfafextends, 'l showing theposition'of theA carriage 26 onfa l timescale A4I).

A"A preferred-embodiment :vofV #this scaler .-is illustrated in-Fig.9.The-numeralsfappearing on this scale indicatev the Ahours :from ifolclockfin the 'morning' to 20.30 (^=half pasteight) yin-theevening Asisfnow' usual in 4time printing clocks-and similarY time recordingdevices; lthe .hoursare subdivided in thevdecimal-system. lIntl-ieexample illustrated in Fig. 9;itis--assumed that thefwork is stopped formeals between-*1 1 and '12.-and-also "between 161.5l fhalf past fourp.-m.)1and17. "In order to automatically deduce thosepauses in time"computations byfmeans offthe machine, the points .for 11 and 12 arecoinciding-Orr ythe'scalafand also the pointsfor 16.5:rand 17.-Thusgwhen a work has beenY carried -out-fbetweenfl -oclock and 13oclockwitha pauseof .onehour'forflunch only two hours are registered inthe-accumulators 20"and"2 L'whenA the indexsSQ is'moved from""10 to"13oirthe'scale'li.

In the casing 38 there'is-'aflongewindow'dl"for rendering 'itpossible'to read-fthe counters'fzil, 2l in any position of' thecarriage'ZE.

The mode 'of operationisv as follows: When thetime 4totalfis' ptobefcomputedi from-"a time record, suchasfawprintedeard from a time c:cntrol machine,y showing the' :points Vof itimasnn manner. each singleoperation, while the grand total of which the various operations ofthework began and ended, the'operator rst moves the carriage 26 by means ofthe handle 21 (then undepressed) to the position, in which the index 39points on that line of the scale 40 which corresponds to the point oftime at which the work began. He now depresses the handle 2'! fully sothat the wheel 30 comes into mesh with the rack 35 and the dentatedWheel 36 is liberated from the stop tooth 31, and then he moves thecarriage to the right (in Fig. 4), until the index reaches that line ofthe scale 40 which corresponds to the point of time at which the workended. Consequently the wheel 3D is rotated an angle proportional to thetime consumed and into the counters 20, 2| a value (an item) is enteredproportional to that time. If several periods of time have been consumedfor one work, they may be entered in a similar The counter may becleared after the operations is cumulated in the counter 2|.

The scale 40 is detachable so that a scale having another division tosuit other conditions may be substituted for it.

It may also be mentioned that the rack 35 and the scale 4D parallel withit may be slightly curved. If so, the radius of curvature should be atleast 20 cm. and the scale should cover at most By this the operatorwill be able to move the handle 21 while resting his elbow on the tableat the center of the curvature.

The machine may be used for computing the diierence of time between twopoints of time specifically stated, and also the sum total of suchdiiTerences. It is useful for calculating wages, charges to be debitedto a customer for work carried out, timing as used in scientificindustrial management etc.

An ordinary time scale (without interruptions for meals and otherpauses) may be arranged along the scale 4U, or may be substituted forit. An ordinary scale and an interrupted scale may be engraved on thesame metal strip like 40 (Fig. 6).

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A time computing machine for computing differences of times and thetotals of such differences, comprising, in combination, a stationaryscale divided in units of time, an index movable along the scale, atleast one accumulating counter for accumulating diiferences of time andan actuator for said counter, a toothed rack mounted stationarily inparallel with the scale and having its teeth arranged at distancescorresponding to the divisions of said scale, a toothed gear wheel forcooperation with said rack, a movement transmission from the rack to theactuator, in which transmission said toothed wheel is included, acarriage movable along said rack and scale, which carriage supports saidindex as well as at least the toothed wheel of said movementtransmission, coupling means mounted in said carriage for interruptingsaid movement transmission when the carriage with index is to be movedalong the scale and no entry in the counter is to be made, but holdingsaid transmission operative when the carriage with index is moved alongthe scale between two points of time, the difference of which is to beentered into the counter, and locking means for preventing rotation ofsaid toothed wheel when said of a revolution 6 movement transmission isinterrupted, andV allowing such rotation only when said movementtransmission is complete.

2. A time computing machine for computing differences of times and thetotals of such differences, comprising, in combination, a stationaryscale divided in units of time, an index movable along the scale, atleast one accumulating counter for accumulating diierences of time andan actuator for said counter, a toothed rack mounted stationarily inparallel with the scale and having its teeth arranged at distancescorresponding to the divisions of said scale, a toothed gear wheel forcooperation with said rack, a movement transmission from the rack to theactuator, in which transmission said toothed wheel is included, acarriage movable along said rack and scale, which carriage supports saidindex as well as at least the toothed wheel of said movementtransmission, coupling means mounted in said carriage for moving saidtoothed wheel out of mesh with said rack when the carriage with index isto be moved along the scale and no entry in the counter is to be made,but holding said toothed wheel in mesh with said rack when the carriagewith index is moved along the scale between two points of time, thedifferences of which is to be entered into the counter, and lockingmeans for preventing rotation of said toothed wheel when not fully inmesh with said rack.

3. A time computing machine for computing differences of times and thetotals of such differences, comprising, in combination, a stationaryscale divided in units of time, an index movable along the scale, atleast one accumulating counter for accumulating differences of time andan actuator for said counter, a toothed rack mounted stationarily inparallel with the scale and having its teeth arranged at distancescorresponding to the divisions of said scale, a toothed gear wheel forcooperation with said rack, a movement transmission from the rack to theactuator, in which transmission said toothed wheel is included, acarriage movable along said rack and scale, which carriage supports saidindex as well as said movement transmission together with counteractuator, coupling means mounted in said carriage for interrupting saidmovement transmission when the carriage with index is to be moved alongthe scale and no entry7 in the counter is to be made, but holding saidtransmission operative when the carriage with index is moved along thescale between two points of time, the difference of which is to beentered into the counter, and locking means for preventing rotation ofsaid toothed wheel when said movement transmission is interrupted, andallowing such rotation only when said movement transmission is complete.

4. A time computing machine :for computing differences of times and thetotals of such differences, comprising, in combination, a stationaryscale divided in units of time, an index movable along the scale, anaccumulating counter for accumulating differences of time and anactuator for said counter, a toothed rack mounted stationarily inparallel with the scale-and having its teeth arranged at distancescorresponding to the divisions of said scale, a toothed gear wheel forcooperation with said rack, a movement transmission from the rack to theactuator, in which transmission said toothed wheel is included, acarriage movable along said rack and scale, which carriage supports saidindex, a rocker -`7 mounted finf -said fcam'iageftand :supporting ,1-said `toothed Wheel :with associatedparts for :lifting said toothedwheel out-ofellgagementwith.said 1 ifack-fwhenqthe carriage 'with-.indexis ytofloeA moved 'alongihe sca- 1e and1no`-ent1fy-is `to be made invlthe counter, :but holding ysaid toothed wheel vin .mesh with .saidraol-whenfthe carriage with in- I; dex is moved 4*along the-scalebetween two points K oftime, lthe diierence `oflwhch is -to vbe enteredfinto :'-the -counter, Vandlocking means y for pre- .,vent'ng rotationof said toothed-Wheel -when not fullyngaged :in the rack.

Y,5.1191 time computing Lmachine las claimed Ain `claim-:14, whereinsaid locking-means comprises ,a-stationary stopftooth for'preventingrotation of :the Tack.

.SQA @time :Camputing n machine as 1 claimed; in

fgzlaim 4; wherein said-toothed wheelis firmly c0n-.

-Ynectedwith a--dentated wheel; for engagement witha stop tooth as`soonjas the toothed .wheel begins torinove out Aof mesh with the rack.

Number 7. r A- t time acompu-tin machine f as -Yclaimedzim claim- 2,whereinisaidrrtoothed wheel is` axially slidablev-out offandinto meshwith saidrack.

9. A= time computing machine Aas claimed in claim 2,whereina handleisprovided for-actuating said coupling vmeans and movng-said-.car-.riage NILS QLOF BERGQU'IST.

REFl'EIRENYCES CITED 'The following -references are'- ofgfrecord inT theufile ofY this patent: l

UNITED S'iiA'iEsf PATENTS Corliss July 20,'1920

